National Treasures

 

“Our forests offer us treasures, such as few lands can rival.”

- North American Review, 1832

 

 "Our stately forests are a national treasure."

 

 “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

 – Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

     In May 1818, James Madison, President of the Agricultural Society of Albemarle, Virginia, conducted a famous lecture for the group. In the address, Madison advocated for environmentally sound agricultural practices that would sustain natural America, not destroy it. He “did not see nature through a romantic lens…but as a fragile ecological system that could be easily destroyed by mankind” (Wulf, 208). Throughout the speech, Madison made note of the pitfalls of the agricultural techniques of the time. He condemned deforestation and American farmers’ tendency to have too many livestock, which contributed to land degradation and destruction. Madison also encouraged practicing crop rotation in order to avoid the “ruinous tendency of perpetual cultivation” (letter from James Madison Jr. to James Madison Sr., Jan. 1797).

   Before Madison, other great minds spoke out against destruction of natural lands. Henry David Thoreau, George Perkins Marsh, John Bartram, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington all noted, at some point or another, the negative effects of mankind on nature. Given the wise words provided us, one would think that America today would embody these principles. We find, however, that this is not the case.

   As of 2005, America had the 7th highest deforestation rate in the world. Deforestation destroys animals’ habitats, resulting in ecological imbalances as they relocate in order to survive. There are other, more dire consequences- trees directly affect the climate. To put it simply, less tress means less oxygen. Deforestation also removes important topsoil layers and soil nutrients that are protected by trees.  Tree removal also leads to increased land erosion.  

  The good news is that trees are among the most easily renewed natural resources. In recent years, there has been a huge “reforestation” movement attempting to reverse the effects of serious deforestation. Reforestation focuses on replanting depleted areas with native species of plants in order to restore ecological balance. Evolving energy sources contribute to the decrease of deforestation. “Green” energy uses resources whose use do not negatively impact, such as sunlight or water. Recycling has also led to reduced deforestation.

To find out what you can do to preserve America’s “treasures”,visit Save America's Forests .